In recent months, The Last of Us has found itself back in the spotlight after Naughty Dog head Neil Druckman revealed some interesting hints about the potential of The Last of Us Part III finally being announced. Although, at the time of writing, a third installment in the hit post-apocalyptic series has not been confirmed, fans are adamant that it is on the cards, and have even decided which character they would like to see have their story continued.
Whether or not The Last of Us Part III will come to fruition remains to be seen, especially with Naughty Dog hard at work on its brand-new IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but it is a recent comment by one of the video game’s leads that has got tongues wagging once more.
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, actor Troy Baker, who voices Joel Miller in Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II, spoke about his plans to move into game development and perhaps leaving the world of voice acting behind. However, it was a comment he made about Joel that raised some ears. According to Baker, Joel’s story may be over, but he believes that fans will still get to see him in some capacity in the future of the series.
“I definitely know we’ve not seen the last of Joel, whether that be Naughty Dog or somebody else.”
Of course, this does not confirm any future sequels or perhaps even a prequel, but it is interesting that the man who brought Joel to life believes that his story is far from over. Spoilers for <em>The Last of Us Part II</em> ahead, but with Joel meeting a brutal end at the hands of Abby, it is safe to say that the Joel we know and love is gone. However, with many years unaccounted for during the prologue and game events in The Last of Us Part I, there is no doubt that Naughty Dog could come up with a way to fill in those gaps. Maybe we will see how he met Tess or what else he got up to after losing Sarah and meeting Ellie. The options are endless, but what Baker’s comments do confirm is that the future could be looking bright for The Last of Us franchise.
As such, fans took to r/thelastofus after hearing Baker’s comments and shared their thoughts on what this could mean. “I’d imagine it’s flashbacks,” the top comment read. “Ellie’s story is definitely not done, in my opinion. Cliffhanger ending. But she’s definitely going to have some flashbacks or a dream sequence or something with Joel. It would be wild to not include him at all.” One fan had an idea for a prequel, sharing, “I’d love a prequel showing how Joel and Tommy got to where they were at the beginning of the first game,” whilst another user believes one is not needed, adding, “I really hope it’s not a prequel. It just makes everything so low stakes and nearly pointless since we know what will happen.”
What the future holds for The Last of Us remains unknown, but with the majority of fans believing that Ellie’s story is far from over, it seems as though Naughty Dog has some planning to do.
